


I Will Always Find You in the End

by betthoven



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, The Iliad - Homer, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: But no, Fluff, LITERALLY, M/M, The End, i couldn't really think of a title so here, i was about to make the title a pun, it's really emotional, major fluff, they meet up, they're both dead, why am i tagging all of this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 19:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7235140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betthoven/pseuds/betthoven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Achilles found himself in the Underworld after his death. Once he realized where he was, he set out to find Patroclus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Will Always Find You in the End

Achilles had died. The prophecy concerning his fate had finally been fulfilled.

He could’ve stayed at Greece and lived a happy and long life instead of going to war. But here he is now, standing at the Styx, waiting to be boated across where he would spend the rest of eternity. 

Achilles knew he would have a trial and that the three judges would most likely deem him a hero and ship him off to Elysium, but in all honesty, he just wanted to find Patroclus.

Patroclus.

The other man had been his lifelong companion, their relationship going past that of casual friends. He had stood beside Achilles when he went to war, he had known him so well and tried to make him feel better when he knew the other was unhappy. They both knew that they had a bond that ran deeper than normal - it saddened Achilles because he had only realized it was there once Patroclus was dead. He had felt that bond break that day and he knew that the only way to restore it was by finding Patroclus among the other dead in the Underworld.

Patroclus had died a hero and deserved Elysium as well. He had saved many lives inside and outside of battle and had donned Achilles’ armor for the sake of the Greek victory – he had died for the Greek victory as well.

Achilles looked up when he saw Charon, the god that would take him to the Underworld, approach. He silently swore to himself that he would find Patroclus here, no matter what it took, even if it cost him everything he had left. 

He gave Charon coins that the other Greek warriors had laid upon him when he had died and stepped into the boat. They glided to the Underworld on the murky Styx water.  
Achilles has no memories of the experience, but he does know that his mother had dipped him into the water at a young age to protect him. He sighs to himself as he remembers how Patroclus was the only one that knew of his weak spot, the one place he was vulnerable. That was how he had died. Paris had taken an arrow and hit him in that one weak spot. How he managed that, Achilles could only think that it was the help of gods.

He would never admit it to anyone (except Patroclus) that he was actually glad to have died. He had gotten his revenge on Hector and had aided the Greeks in their path to victory. He was still slightly pissed at Agamemnon though.

The boat Charon guides hit the banks of the Styx once again and Achilles saw the gates of the Underworld before him. He saw Cerberus guarding them, even more fearful than the paintings portray him.

The dog’s three heads had turned when they smelled the warrior, and all three heads had followed his path through the gates of the Underworld.

Achilles has heard what happens next to the dead from stories: they stand before a panel consisting of three judges that decide where in the Underworld they go to. 

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Achilles saw the three judges – Aeacus, Minos, and Rhadamanthus – appear before him. 

Achilles wondered what he should say to them when one of the judges – he thinks it was Minos, but he could be wrong – looked down at him and smiled. “So Achilles, you have finally died.” His voice boomed out and seemed to echo around the area; Achilles couldn’t tell if they were in a room or an open space which made the fact that his voice sounded like it echoed even more of a mystery.

The other two judges stared at Achilles with unnerving gazes as the first one continued to speak: “As the son of the goddess Thetis and great-grandson to King Zeus as well as a noble Greek warrior in many wars, we find that you have played your part in history as a hero and shall give you rights to the Elysian Fields.” The other two judges nodded in agreement at Achilles’ newfound fate. 

Before he could say anything or ask them about Patroclus, Achilles found himself standing on the island known as Elysium. 

The spirits that floated around him looked happy and bright. Contrary to what people in the mortal world believed, you can see dead spirits’ faces. That only made Achilles’ self-proclaimed mission easier.

Achilles took a step forward from where he was standing and turned around to get a good look at Elysium. To say the least, the island is paradise. He looked at the faces of the other spirits and found that he recognized not one of them. 

Panicked, Achilles ran around the island, looking for the one face he wanted to see.

Patroclus must be in Elysium, he was a much better and nobler man than I and-

Achilles could’ve sworn he had seen Hector before the spirit slunk away.

It only makes sense for Hector to be in Elysium. Hector was a much better man than Achilles, both on and off the battlefield. 

Achilles shook his head and tried to clear his mind of those thoughts. All of them had died: him, Patroclus, Hector - they should try to make peace with the new life laid out before them.

Achilles clenched his fists in silent rage. The only way he could make peace is by finding Patroclus. As he set out on his mission, Achilles ran around Elysium seven more times before giving up around the perimeter and deciding to try his luck near the center of the island.

As Achilles walked towards the center, the number of spirits multiplied. The setup and activity reminded Achilles of towns back in the mortal world - the majority of the population gathered around the middle for trading and entertainment. He looked around at more spirits, still trying to find Patroclus, and yet, he was beginning to be entertained by the other spirits here. The more he looked around, the more he saw people being happy.

He turned back around and saw a figure that looked eerily familiar. It took Achilles less than a second to realize that the spirit he was staring at was the person he had set out to find. Yet, Achilles hesitated, he didn’t know if that was truly Patroclus or not and he wanted to save himself the pain of knowing that he still hadn’t found his other half.

The spirit turned around and met his eyes.

His chocolate brown hair and eyes looked ordinary, but to Achilles that was exactly what he had been searching for.

“Patroclus.” The name escaped his lips in a soft whisper, the only sign that the other had heard was the slight tilting of his head.

Then his eyes widened. “So you did kill Hector… why? You could’ve lived your life, you could’ve been happy, Achilles-“

Achilles interrupted him by grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the island’s coast, only stopping once they were alone.

“Achilles…”

The said man interrupted the other through his actions yet again, only this time it was by hugging him tightly. “Patroclus, you don’t get it. I killed Hector because he deserved to die, he had taken you from me. I couldn’t have been happy without you, my life would’ve been incomplete. I knew what the prophecy said, and to be honest, I’m glad I’m dead – I get to be with you again.”

Patroclus was the only person Achilles ever let see his tears, know his weaknesses, and truly loved.

“When I realized I was dead I swore to myself that I would find you no matter what. Even if you were in Asphodel after drinking from the Lethe I would have found you - if I were sent to the Fields of Punishment I would have found a way to escape if it meant I could see you one more time.” Achilles stared Patroclus in the eyes, the two spirits became gradually brighter the longer they stayed together.

Patroclus lets a soft smile grace his lips and he looks up to Achilles, “I’m glad.” He took his hand and wiped away one of Achilles’ tears, the action being more meaningful to the two than it would seem to an outsider.

The smile Achilles had worn earlier was broken and lost, but it had become whole again and spoke a warmth greater than that of Hephaestus’ hottest flames.  
The two had heard myths from Phoenix about how people believed the human race came about before the true creation story was released for all to hear from the oracles. Their favorite myth out of them all was the one where humans had originally had four arms, four legs, and two heads. Zeus, not liking the way the humans looked, decided to split them in half so they would look more like the gods themselves. After that, the humans lived their lives knowing that a part of them was missing and they spent their lives trying to find that missing half, the one who would complete them.

Both Patroclus and Achilles remember the nights when they were still alive, the ones after Achilles had had his fight with Agamemnon and vowed not to partake in the war until Agamemnon could behave like a mature adult and confess that he was wrong and give Achilles what he wanted. After that Patroclus and Achilles had shared a tent and had continued sharing a tent until Patroclus had died. They both remember the nights after battles where Achilles had been broken up between his pride and his love for war, those nights Patroclus would help Achilles fall asleep, one in the other’s arms, both feeling complete until the next morning when they would be forced to endure the sounds of the battle once more.

Yet, standing in Elysium with Patroclus, just being able to hold each other, they both felt more complete than ever.

And the best part was that they had all of eternity for them to enjoy each other.

**Author's Note:**

> what am i doing


End file.
